Behind Closed Doors
by xXLauren MusicXx
Summary: Rocket learns everything's not always as it seems as Tia learns a hard fact of life. One-shot. Tia central, some Rocket/Tia.


**Note: I do NOT own Galactik Football!**

**Behind Closed Doors **

People say your school years were the best years of your life. Tia was starting to believe in this saying more and more everyday despite still only being in her mid-teens. It wasn't from her own literal experience but from her parents recent and on-going experience who were well through their school years and unbeknown to them, their current 'experience' was having a particular affect on their daughter.

She was extremely happy to be staying at her Akillian home which was a short distance from her boyfriend's house but a few days in, the problems that had seemed so minor on Obia Moon seemed so much...'bigger' now on Akillian. It was only now starting to affect her. Rocket had asked her multiple times what was wrong but Tia was secretive and persisted she was fine despite being worried. She loved confiding in Rocket but the problem she was now dealing with was beyond her capable hands and also his so she didn't want him to try and intervene when she wasn't even supposed to be aware of the problems surrounding her personal life. But how difficult it was _not_ to be aware of it.

Now currently laying her boyfriend's arms, Tia was mentally prepared for what lay ahead as she lay on the same bed in the same room deep in the same thoughts she had been over the past few days. She had asked Rocket to spend the night earlier that day since she was too afraid to leave her home and stay in his which should've been the more sensible idea but Tia was quick to shove it aside for whatever reason. Thankfully, Rocket agreed despite not knowing the real reason for her invitation. She wanted him there now but he had to witness it first-hand in order to realise his girlfriend's problem was not his to solve. It wasn't even hers.

It was starting to get late and Rocket was getting sleepy but Tia was prepared and was wide awake which Rocket noticed and unhappily groaned.

'Come on Tia, don't you think we should get some sleep? It's getting rather late,' he yawned but Tia ignored him completely. 'Tia?'

'Just wait Rocket.' Rocket watched her carefully. Something was up; it didn't take much to see that. Soon though, his thoughts were answered by what seemed like two people screaming at each other downstairs.

'NO, I DON'T-'

'YES, YOU DO-'

Rocket stopped listening when a tear slowly glided down Tia's cheek as she flinched and he recognised the voices-Tia's parents.

'This kind of thing happens with marriage to everyone Tia, it'll blow over,' Rocket tried to convince her. Married couples argued; it was life. But he knew in an instant that there was more behind this since Tia had obviously expected this to happen. That's when she explained to him the exact reason she wanted him over.

'Usually yes but it's becoming more and more frequent. Almost every night when they think I'm asleep. I don't know if I can take much more of it,' Tia sobbed, tears slowly leaking from her eyes which Rocket rubbed away with his thumb as he slowly sat them up and hushed her.

'I know it's hard but you have to go on. Just understand that they still love you,' he promised her but she looked away from him. It wasn't that easy. No, she never had the perfect life or perfect parents like everyone thought she had. They had their problems, boy did they have them. But they always got through it. And so far, they were nowhere near close to solving the problem since they kept screaming at each other most nights or having tense air follow around them most days. Either or. And Tia could only guess why.

'Rocket it's not that simple. They argued once in a while before but this is far too frequent. The gaps between each argument are that close that they're predictable now! I hate it! And you know, it's probably all my fault...' she sobbed but Rocket was quick to disagree. She was a teenage girl with a boyfriend whom she was always with and always talked about. She was at that age where most guys and even some girls only wanted sex. She was in the spotlight thanks to winning the Cup with the Snow Kids and is now an icon to many kids across the Galaxy. She was out at training sessions early mornings and early evenings and many other points in her life had changed dramatically oh so suddenly. It was bound to have some affect on her parents. Therefore, she blamed herself for causing the blazing arguments. It was only natural.

'How can you say that? It can't be your fault, they love you,' Rocket explained gently as she sobbed.

'It is Rocket! If not, then how come my Dad's been ignoring me for no apparent reason or staying up drinking until all hours of the night? It's my fault Rocket, I know it is!' Tia yelled in frustration but even that was no match for the continuous screaming downstairs which was still getting louder and louder.

'What do you mean drinking until all hours of the night? He doesn't drink...does he?' Rockets question was answered by a simple look from Tia. 'But he's a Diplomat; it doesn't make sense for him to be drunk... Has he been around you while drunk?' Rocket asked wearily and she nodded so Rocket asked the next dreaded question. 'He never hurt you...did he?' he asked worriedly and was relieved to hear the answer.

'No. Not yet anyway. But his mood swings can feel quite threatening. One minute he's over-jolly and loud, the next he's ignoring me for no reason or yelling at me for no reason at all which he's also been doing while not drunk lately,' she confessed and Rocket felt his heart hit the floor for a number of reasons.

'How long has this been going on for? Everything. The arguing, the drinking, everything.' Tia gulped before answering his need-to-know question.

'A couple of month's maybe. He always has been a drinker though if you accuse him of being an alcoholic, he'll go into a flight of rage because of my uncle...' Rocket knew the uncle part. He knew her uncle had been an alcoholic years back, her father had turned out to be the most decent and respectable one out of all his brothers. Thanks to the support of friends and family, he managed to kick the addiction but Tia and her parents were disgusted to discover that he recently had his license suspended for drink driving therefore; Rocket could understand why her Dad wouldn't want to be compared to him despite her acknowledgement being rather true. '...but it's only recently become almost every night. How he manages to sober up and carry on as normal in work the next day is beyond me!' Rocket began to see a sufferer side to his girlfriend that she was very reluctant to show him. This side was vulnerable, fragile where as Tia's 'other side' was strong and independent and could take a few mishaps and come out in the end. This time however, she was struggling.

'Why didn't you tell me before?' was his next curious question and she immediately locked eyes with his.

'Same reason I haven't told anyone else. People think I live the perfect life which is far from true. I don't. And when people see what's going on...they hate me. I don't know why, but they do. It's as if they feel I've told a lie whilst they've only imagined this 'lie'. Then people I do tell, too much gets dumped on them and it makes it seem as if my life sucks and I'm always unhappy and bringing them down. The only I can stop people from leaving me is not to tell them! I don't want to lose you especially.'

'You never will Tia! You love me and I love you, it's a simple fact of life. What's going on with your Dad is his problem. It's only your fault if you shove the alcohol down his throat which you don't; he chooses to drink it so it's his fault. Don't let anyone tell you different! At the end of the day, they love you and each other. They'll work it out and when they do, everything that's been going on with your Dad for whatever reason he started in the first place will decrease and you three will be happy again,' Rocket promised his confused and upset girlfriend. Before she could respond, a sudden yell from her Dad made them both jump and Tia hide in his chest to try and block out the loud yells. Rocket kept that in mind as he lay them down and kept Tia close as he leaned over and grabbed his iPod off the nightstand making Tia give him a confused expression. 'Just put the headphones in and listen to something. Have it nice and loud! Eavesdropping won't help so listen to music; get your mind off it. I'll shove them in your ears if I have to!' Rocket warned before Tia smiled slightly and popped the headphones into her ears and snuggled in his chest and as she was too comfortable to move, he let him pick out her playlist.

Having drowned out the sound of her angry parents, Tia soon fell asleep to Rocket's relief and he followed shortly after, trying to imagine Tia's father of all people actually drunk. Seemed impossible but Rocket knew himself that he only knew some of the family secrets. Tia would tell him in time but they were only dating as of now, he only had a right to know so much. Depending on the information also of course. But he knew to stay out of this but he wouldn't let Tia stay up all night in fear and tears either. He would support her through all...

The following morning went fine for Tia. Rocket though was surprised to see things perfectly normal at breakfast, as if none of it had happened and her Dad perfectly sober. Rocket had tried not to listen whilst Tia was listening to music but there's only so many ways to describe Tia's room. He could only gather spits here and there and didn't like some of it at all but it wasn't his to say. Tia seemed ok. A little quiet but ok for the circumstances as she tried to think of how to get by another night. She wasn't sure how many more she could take. Rocket knew she needed some cheering up though and had secretly informed the team to meet up in Planet Akillian to get Tia away from that wretched house and hopefully cheer her up. Tia was more than happy to oblige to this and was now silently walking next to Rocket who didn't like how quiet she was her uneasiness.

'Tia, things will be ok in the end! I'm here for you and so is everyone else. I know you'll pull yourself through this no matter what the outcome,' he assured her and she suddenly stopped and grabbed his hand. Making him turn around and look at her.

'Thank you Rocket. Really. It helps just knowing you're there. But…can I stay in your house tonight? I need to get away!' she asked and he nodded, rubbing some strands of hair behind her ear.

'Of course Tia,' he promised her and embraced her close and he held him close in response. 'You'll never lose me Tia. So tell me when something like this happens. When anything happens. Let me help you. Don't keep it all up inside, please,' he begged and she pulled back so she could nod and Rocket was happy to see the honesty in her eyes. He gently left a kiss on to her head before whispering. 'Let's go, you need to be treated.' Tia smiled then with a nod, followed her loving boyfriend of just over 6 months to meet the team.

As Tia looked around at all her friends surrounding her, she began to realise how different her life was from before the Cup with not just her parents but also her own personal life. She had met Rocket. She fell in love. Became best friends with Mei, the total opposite of her own self. Made friends. Followed her dreams. Everything she never thought would happen all those years before they did happen. She smiled as the team went into some random argument about some video game level they couldn't agree on how to pass and Tia happily snaked her arms around one of Rocket's large, muscular one's and rested her head on his shoulder. He smirked as he laid his head on hers and watched the 'discussion' unfold before them. Tia then realised that even if her parents split up in the end of it all and her Dad continued to get drunk every night, she had the team there with her always because they were her friends first and foremost and she knew they would support her even if they didn't know what was happening right now. But most of all, she had Rocket who knew all he needed to know and knew how to help her handle it. She knew she could trust him to advise her on what to do and to comfort her when she was upset. Overall, with him and the team she could cope. All she had to do was open up and forget about what her 'friends' may have done to her in the past and be honest with the friends she had now. They loved her for her and now that she believed that, she knew she could get by anything whereas without these people in the past, she probably wouldn't have been able to. Finally she realised that she was no longer alone.

**A little different from the more recent one-shots I've been doing but I wanted to upload something with a fraction of what's going on in my own life right now and many other kids across the world! So I hope you guys liked what you read and please review if you did! Constructive criticism appreciated!**

**And yes, Tia does think a lot! So I got a little carried away but I personally think that's just her! **


End file.
